Life is much less stressful when we trust that we are always being guided in our highest good.

Imagine how you would feel if you really trusted that you are never alone and are always being guided in your highest good. That would go a long way toward helping you surrender to the process of life, release anxiety and stay in the present moment.

Take a moment and try this exercise:

Think of all the times, from your childhood up to today, when you knew you were being supported by Spirit—times you were warned of things, times when something good came from something bad, times when you were in the right place at the right time, times when you felt a presence with you, times when Spirit came through another person in the form of help or caring, times when you were deeply guided to help another, times when you knew something without knowing how you knew it.

Art: Dr. Margaret Paul

I have had thousands of times in my life when I felt the presence of Spirit.

Just today, I was driving to an appointment and I didn’t want to be late. There is construction going on where I have to drive, and every time I’ve been stopped for five to 10 minutes. Today, a couple of miles before where I’ve always had to stop, I prayed to my inner guidance that I could drive right through so I wouldn’t be late. Sure enough, just as I got to where I always had to stop, I was let through!

That is just a small example, but I’ve had huge experiences as well.

One of these was when I was driving home from the airport one night. It was about 10:00 p.m., and I was driving fairly slowly on the freeway, tired from a weekend of teaching a workshop on the East Coast. Suddenly, I heard a voice saying, clearly, “Slow down!” I was startled, thinking there was someone in my car, but thankfully I did slow down. Moments later, a drunk driver careened across the freeway directly in front of me, missing my car by inches. Had I not slowed down, I would have been broadsided.

Shaking, I realized it was my spiritual inner guidance who warned me. Usually, my inner guidance, which I will call “Guidance,” communicates with me through my feelings, images and thoughts popping into my mind. But this time she wanted to make sure I heard her, so she spoke out loud. I thanked her profusely for watching out for me.

Another major event happened 12 years ago. After living in my house in L.A. for 31 years, raising my children there and working there, I was ready to leave the city. Right after the house sold, I started to receive messages from my Guidance that I had to get everything of value to me out of my house, at least a week before escrow closed. My Guidance gave me visions of the house crumbled, but I had no idea what this meant. I thought maybe there was going to be a big earthquake.

Thankfully, I listened to her and exactly one week before escrow was to close, I had 300 boxes moved out of the house into a rental house that was my temporary living space and office until I could move.

The very next day, I had construction workers fixing termite damage under the house. As I came back from the rental house, they were coming out from under the house, bragging that they had found some black widow spiders and torched them. “Ugh,” I thought. “Even black widow spiders deserve to be treated humanely.”

I went back to the rental house and returned two hours later to seven fire engines in front of my house. The workers had torched the spiders on dry rot and set the house on fire.

A couple of months after the shock wore off, I asked my Guidance why she didn’t warn me of the fire so I could have prevented it. Here is what she said:

“You lived and worked there for 31 years, and too much of your energy was in the walls of the house. The new people moving in would have tapped into your energy and you would have gotten sick. We needed it to burn for your health.”

I was blown away. I didn’t even know that a person’s energy could go into the walls of a house! Once again, Spirit was protecting me.

In addition, I received more compensation from the insurance than I did from selling the house. What seemed like a disaster turned out to be a good thing.

Photo: Dr. Margaret Paul

These are major incidents, but as I’ve said, I’ve had thousands of minor incidents that let me know I am being guided in my highest good.

The key is to not let my ego-wounded self diminish these situations with statements like, “It’s just a coincidence.”

Sally, one of my clients, was struggling with her trust in the Universe. I asked her to think about a time when she knew she was being guided and supported.

“Well, one important time was when I was thinking of quitting college. I had gone to my college that day with the intention of quitting when I ran into an old friend. We sat and talked, and then I went home. It was only after I got home that I realized that I forgot to quit. I stayed in school and finished and it was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I know that day Spirit made sure I ran into my friend so that I would forget about quitting. Another time, my baby son was in the hospital, very, very sick. The doctor said he might not survive the night. I prayed and prayed and put my body over his and sent all of my love into him. Immediately his fever went down and he was okay. God was definitely with me.”

Remembering these times helped Sally to reaffirm her trust in the universe.

I cannot think of a better way to reduce or eliminate anxiety than to decide to trust the universe. When we are in the midst of extreme difficulties, reminding ourselves that we are being guided is a powerful way to stay present and centered and handle the difficulties.

Because we have free will, each of us has the option of deciding to trust that we are truly being supported by the universe, that even very challenging situations are all opportunities to evolve our soul in love—toward ourselves and others. Life is filled with ups and downs, with good times and bad.

It’s important to realize that when bad things happen, it does not mean that we are not being supported and guided in our soul’s journey. Inner peace comes when we trust that the universe always supports our highest good.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of 8 books, relationship expert, and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® process – featured on Oprah, and recommended by actress Lindsay Wagner and singer Alanis Morissette. Are you are ready to heal your pain and discover your joy? Click here for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome and visit our website at http://www.innerbonding.com for more articles and help. Phone and Skype Sessions Available. Join the thousands we have already helped and visit us now!

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Just beautiful!!! The Universe will not fail us if we trust it and ourselves! What you call your guidance I call my God voice! 2 years ago I was in graduate school doing great and my childrens father had decided to stop paying support because he thought it unfair I was in school. I had to send mychildren to his home to eat and have running water and electricity until my court date. It was the most emotionally hardest days of my life. I didn’t spend the 10 days with no electric feeling pity t but I spend it listening to the Universe curled and bundled up with hot coffee from my daughter every morning!! What seemed the hardest moment in my life was the most revealing and enlightening moment! It changed me . I loved more, forgive more, take account more and believe in me more than ever!! The Universe knew exactly what it was doing for me! Love is always therefor you! We simply need to trust and believe!!

This is a wonderful article reminding us that we are never alone. I cannot even count the number of times that I've known spirit was with me including a near death experience. From the largest challenge to the smallest, my guides are with me and give me the greatest wisdom for all of life’s difficulties. Even in my most painful challenges/experiences, I have never not made it through them or I would not be here today! Lol. It is our minds that create the fear in our hardest challenges, but it's our sacred heart that brings peace with all situations when we open our hearts to hear her words of wisdom. One of the most profound moments of "spirit intervention" was years ago after the death of my husband. (See next comments)

All of our belongings were stored at his mother’s home and after his death she refused to give them back to me. I had to take her to court and even though I won, I did not get many of my belongings back. I was hurt deeply which I let fester into anger. I used to help my MIL with her gardening which she was very obsessive about. Well, I went and bought several gallons of bleach and drove to her street late at night with the intention of destroying her flowers. Just before I was ready to open the car door, a voice as clear as a bell, (that sounded very much like my own), said; If you do this, you will be just as hateful and spiteful as she is. It was in this moment that I was able to forgive her and let my anger with her go

. I also felt such peace with the entire situation and began to let go of all my anger which really was only hurting me, not her. It was a very profound moment for me, and a great lesson in forgiveness of others heals us more that it does the other person. She never knew what I was about to do to her garden but by me forgiving her, I found the release of all the inner pain I had been experiencing over the situation. Our higher self is always there, our guides never leave us, it is simply a matter of listening to our hearts rather that our minds. I love my sacred heart and all its wisdom!

Thank you for sharing your experience Susan. This is such a great example of Spirit guiding you toward your highest good. Wouldn't our world be wonderful if everyone listened to their hearts rather than their minds!

I love this article. I feel sad however, for there were moments when I did not listen and bad things happened because of those choices. But then again, God is really good because those bad consequences helped me grow in the end. There are still times though that I can't help but wish I knew then what I know now; it could have saved me from a lot of heartache.

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